Setting Sun
by Nelys the Alchemist
Summary: In a dry and desert world certain individuals are asked to aid in a quest none of them truly believes in. One man tries simply to exist, while another searches for answers that can help breath life back into the land. Please enjoy this 1XR AU tale...
1. Chapter 1

Setting Sun  
By Nelys The Alchemist  
Chapter 1

* * *

The sandy landscape stretched out in all directions around a scattering mess of old dilapidated buildings. The town was the only thing within miles to break the monotony of desert sand for the eye, with hot wind blowing dust and grit around the old buildings and across what was left of the pockmarked road. The sun blazed overhead, slowly bleaching out any color that remained on the worn signs above the storefronts. The town held the general layout of most other towns in the region, with stores struggling to supply the needs of those who dared try to scratch out a living in the hot and dry world.

A general store, livery, hotel and saloon, dentist and undertaker made this town much like any a man would find in the rest of the world. A few smattering of houses trying desperately to grow anything plant and animal alike could be found surrounding the town, some deserted and none thriving, which in turn surrounded the only source of water for miles. Just like every other town.

Heero Yuy woke to the usual early morning warmth from the sun that came peeking into his windows and rolled out of bed. The floorboards creaked, an old and dry sound in the air around him, as he moved about in search of somewhat clean clothes. He pulled on light pants the natural color of the cotton used and his scuffed and reliable leather boots and went into what might have been called a kitchen at some point in time. After some searching of the barren shelves and pantry he found a bit of stale bread and just enough jam to make it edible, shoving it quickly into his mouth before turning back out of the room.

His last stop was the bathroom, and also the last place he ever wanted to be. He stopped quickly to attend to business before pausing at the sink. A quick glance in the cracked mirror found cobalt eyes glaring and nearly lost among tumbled locks of dark brown hair and a days worth of a beard. Before he could talk himself out of it he reached for a switch on the wall, flipping it to hear an old engine struggle to start up. It was always a wonder to him how it started at all after all this time. He turned a knob on the sink and put both hands under the spray of sand that issued from the faucet. Stifling a groan as his skin was blasted he grit his teeth and rubbed his hands quickly before bowing his head down and allowing the stinging sand to hit his face. This was followed by a quick and rough scrubbing under each arm before he shut both the faucet and generator off. Using a towel from the wall he brushed as much residue off his skin as possible before pulling a long sleeved shirt with several buttons missing on over his tank top, not bothering with the buttons as it kept him cooler to leave it open. The only reason to wear sleeves at all was to keep the sun off his arms anyway. He was dark enough from the blasted thing.

On his small and battered front porch that stretched across the front of the small and battered house he noticed a figure dressed in white across the other end of town. He was nothing beyond a speck that Heero could see but he looked to be coming in, which seemed unusual to Heero as most people who came in did so by coach or mule and only stayed when they had to. With a shake of his head he himself headed into town and to the job that kept him alive and able to live in his small and battered house.

Nodding to the few other townsfolk he passed Heero was quickly at the door of Sunny's Gun Shop and stopped once more to watch the man dressed in white continue his march into town. He was coming from the east and had neither mule nor buggy of any kind to take him this far and Heero wondered how he had gotten so far with just his two feet. He knew how great a distance it was to the next town and to make the trek by foot was insanity. Having come from that direction once upon a time had been tough as any journey and he'd gotten lucky enough to hitch a ride with someone in a rarely seen truck.

A gunshot rang out from within the shop and Heero rolled his eyes as he came through the door. The shop was small, dirty and disorganized. Much like the owner herself. Said owner sat behind the counter in her standard uniform of coveralls over a tank top with her booted feet daintily crossed on the counter and a smoking gun in her hand.

"You're smiling," Heero said in his usual monotone. "You must have got one this time."

"You bet I did," Hilde replied with a smirk as she eyed the still smoking barrel she held pointed to the ceiling. "I got the little sucker that ran off with my breakfast yesterday."

Not wanting to see the carnage of a gunned down Gila lizard Heero ducked under the old wooden counter and opened one of the cabinets, pulling out gun pieces and various cleaning tools. Hilde slid off the stool she was perched on and passed the gun over to him, watching him quietly for a moment.

"You're later than usual today."

He shrugged.

"You got an air about you too, and I don't mean from the heat."

He paused a moment. "There's someone coming into town."

"Oh yeah?" Her eyes lit up and she went to the door, sticking her head through the glassless frame and craning to see to the left, then the right. "Someone looking for a gun I hope."

"He looks different," He replied in the same monotone. "I can't tell from so far away but there's something different about him."

"Well maybe that's money. We're so used to not seeing it around here I'd be surprised if I could still recognize it." Hilde leaned back out of the window while bouncing on her heels and peered toward the edge of town. The dot of white Heero spoke of was slowly getting larger.

"Money doesn't walk in without a mule Hilde."

She threw him a dirty look. "Stop ruining my good mood."

* * *

Heero worked hard in the dusty gun shop, slowly piecing together weapons as Hilde found them. Technically he was also to run the register but there were hardly ever people there to buy, so he spent most days repairing and cleaning and polishing the wares in the shop while she bartered on the days she was there.

For the moment she was at the saloon, the only place to ever make any real money, helping the bartender serve drinks and run card games.

He paused as a whisper of a sound crept across his consciousness and looked up, squinting against the brightness of the light coming through the frame. Slowly his eyes adjusted and he watched two children go running down the road and his curiosity got the better of him. He had a pretty fair idea of what they were running towards but his hands set down the gun piece with a soft 'thunk' and his feet moved his body around the counter to the doorway anyway.

The object of their hunt was walking slowly up the road within the town limits, layers of white billowing around him. There was a white cap of the same material on his head, presumably to keep the sun off, and a worn looking bag slung over his shoulder. The clothes looked well worn and dusty, not at all uncommon, but the face of the stranger was young and friendly looking and he smiled when the children ran up to him.

"My sister thought you were a ghost!" The little boy exclaimed.

"Nu-uh!" She replied even as she hid behind her brother.

The stranger laughed.

"In this heat I wish I was a ghost, I might be cooler," He replied as he bend down and rested his hands on his knees. "Can one of you tell me where the hotel is? I've been walking for a long time."

The children nodded as he stood and allowed them to pull him along. As the three passed the gun shop, drifting past Heero who stood just enough inside so as not to be seen, the stranger turned and looked him directly in the eye, unnerving him enough to take a step back away from the window. His instincts were not warning him of danger from this person, but they were warning him of something. If only he could figure out what.

Author's Note:

So here's chapter one of something I've been working on for some time but finally found the courage to post. This is my first true attempt at a multi-chaptered fic so please excuse any clumsiness that may come from formatting SNFU's while I iron out the process. This is a long tale, so the chapters will get longer (I think) but for the moment I'm just trying to break them up as it makes sense. Please comment and let me know if you like it so far.

~Nelys


	2. Chapter 2

Setting Sun  
By Nelys The Alchemist  
Chapter 2

* * *

At the end of the day, when the sun was beginning to set Heero quickly closed up the shop. He felt itchy and paranoid and locked the door quickly before hurrying down the road to the saloon. The setting sun threw his shadow out in front of him and he watched it as he moved. People were starting to filter out as the sun slowly sank behind the horizon. This was the time of day to be out, the air was cool with the promise of night but not cool enough to demand extra clothes or a fire.

Laughter and loud talking came falling out of the saloon doors as he approached and he quickened his pace until he shoved the old wooden doors out of his way to stand just inside the doorway, blinking his eyes against the smoke and letting himself adjust to the sounds and smells that made up Max's Saloon.

The saloon was housed in an old hotel, the second floor remodeled for the ladies of the place to sell their services, the main floor home to the drunkards by day and those looking to relax in drink by night. An upright piano sat in one corner and a melody Heero knew but couldn't place came from the fingers of Joe, who had always been there. The bar stretched wide across one wall in a dark wood, and an old mirror with a chip in the lower left corner helped the bartender keep an eye on all patrons. Tables and chairs were scattered around the rest of the place in no particular pattern with some drinking and laughing, others drinking and playing cards.

The saloon made the most money in town by far as drink of any kind was so hard to come by. Much of that money was then given to Hilde as it took a lot of effort to both entertain the guests and provide enough weapons to keep anyone from forgetting to pay.

The bartender gave a jaunty wave when Heero's eyes skimmed past him. He moved up to the bar just as Hilde ran up, calling drink orders as she set the tray down on the bar.

"Heero," She said, surprise in her voice. "You didn't say you'd be by tonight."

"Have you heard anything about the stranger that came into town today?" He asked without greeting.

She raised an eyebrow. "Him again? Really now, you're not one for gossip."

"Have you heard anything?" He asked again impatiently.

"Boy, more taciturn than usual I see. I haven't heard nothin' out of the ordinary. He's traveling through town looking for some people," She tipped her head in the direction of the bartender as he started putting drinks on her tray. "Our host may have heard more." With a flash of a smile in gratitude she ran off with the tray.

"Heero buddy, yer lookin' disgruntled." Duo Maxwell said as he placed a half full glass of clear liquid in front of his friend. "What's going on?"

Heero took the glass and fought to drink slowly, the cool water feeling of heaven going down his throat and disappearing all too quickly. He gave a barely audible sigh and a slight nod as he placed the glass back on the bar, resting on his elbows.

"That guy that came into town today alone-" He started.

"That crazy SOB? Traveling with nothing more than a pack on his back I'm surprised he made it this far." Duo replied eyes on his customers while cleaning a glass.

Heero looked up at him sharply. "Have you spoken to him?"

"Naw, just what I heard from Sheila when she checked him in. Said he'd come from Wellstone on foot and didn't have nothin' more with him than his pack and those goofy clothes. He asked for any old timer who'd be able to help him with a list of names though." Duo put the glass aside and cast his friend a sidelong glance.

Heero drew his eyebrows together slightly but was otherwise silent.

"What's eating you about him?" Duo gave Heero his full attention after pulling his gun from under the table and idly twirling it slowly on the bar. "You don't usually give a shit who's comin' through town."

"I wish I didn't care this time either," Came the quiet reply. "I don't know what it is, but when I saw him today I got to feelin' unsettled. Haven't been able to shake it."

"You think he's bad news?"

Heero stared at nothing across the bar for a minute before shaking his head slightly.

"…But you think something's going on." Duo gave a seemingly casual scan across the room. "Well I'll tell ya something, I've been feeling a might out of sorts today myself. We're probably both being too suspicious."

Heero nodded, his expression still troubled to those who could tell.

"I'll see what I can find out about him," Duo said quietly, still surveying the room. "I'll let you know tomorrow."

Heero gave a rare 'thanks' before casting his eyes to the glass again. Duo shook his head.

"You know how expensive that is. I can hardly afford to keep it."

Heero rolled his eyes before heading back out the saloon door, hoping his nerves would settle by morning.

* * *

A great ranch house sat on a barren piece of land in the shadow of an outcropping of rocks. What made this house odd to see among the dust and bleached out landscape was that it was newly build, with high and expensive fencing to keep the curious out. Men dotted the lands surrounding the house, practicing their shooting against any random trash they could find. The sounds of gunshot and laughter could be heard from far off, the kind of laughter that made women quicken their step home.

A man sat on the wide front porch, watching his companions and enjoying the shade. A cigar gently let smoke drift into the sky from between his clenched teeth and every once in a while he would remove it to take a sip from the glass at his side.

The clothes he wore were tailored but comfortable. Newly purchased jeans, already getting worn at the knees, tucked down into durable brown boots. A white cotton shirt that showed no stains or ware was snug against broad shoulders and left his arms bare, while a faded and well worn brown leather hat kept the sun, when it was overhead, out of his eyes. The screen door creaked open and shut, alerting him to the man behind him before he spoke.

"Hey boss?"

He turned slowly and looked back at the man with the full beard and straggly hair as he approached.

"Treize Sir, she's startin' to have one o' them fits o' hers. Jameson told me I should come git you." He looked hesitant.

"I'll be right there," The well dressed man started to turn back until he noticed the lackey still standing behind him. "Was there something else?"

He wrung his dirty hands before he worked the courage to speak. "They're…well, they're gettin' worse I noticed. Do you want I should fetch a doctor?"

His employer sighed, contemplating anger or assurance. He stood and brushed the dirt off the back of his pants before walking slowly toward the door.

"She'll be fine," Treize smiled as he brushed past the man. "She always is."

The man looked unconvinced but Treize swept past him without further comment, passing through the living room full of furniture and soft rugs and moving down the hallway towards a closed door at the end of the hall.

He reached for the knob and turned it slowly, easing the door open to heavy breathing and murmurs of comfort. The woman on the floor next to the pile of rugs and blankets looked up at him as he entered and immediately jumped to her feet.

"This girl needs a real doctor," She said with determination. Her straw colored dress stretched tight around her ample body. "A midwife can't do much when there's no baby. Whatever is wrong is getting worse. This fit has lasted for nearly the full morning and she doesn't look to be comin' out of it any time soon."

Treize's good mood could not be disrupted. He kneeled beside the figure tossing on the blankets and reached out a hand to brush across her face. She fidgeted, unaware of his touch, eyes scrunched shut as sweat slowly moved from her heated brow. Her damp blonde hair was tangled around her neck and shoulders, getting moreso as she moved, twitching and mumbling incoherently. Her hands reached out for what he did not know and grasped nothing.

He put his hand more firmly on her cheek and whispered in her ear and her eyes suddenly snapped open, confusion mixing behind her cloudy blue eyes. He chuckled softly when she unconsciously leaned into his hand and her murmurings grew less insistent.

"She doesn't need a doctor," He said with a smugness the woman found unnerving. "You can leave now. Jameson will arrange delivery of your fee at the door."

As the woman watched he continued to stroke her cheek while his other hand started to trail up and down her arm. The girl's breathing started to slow down and both arms stalled in their search across the blankets.

"But she-"

"I think I've made myself clear." He cut her off, his tone sharp.

At the change in his tone the woman backed up a step, sensing an air of danger from the man as his impatience with her grew thin. Remembering the power this man held, it was with sadness that she cast one more look at the girl, who was calm and no longer fidgeting, before she nodded and turned toward the door.

"Your fee is contingent upon your silence remember. If I hear word…"

She paused with one hand on the door as the threat settled in her belly.

"Not a word sir, as promised." She replied before stepping out of the room.

The door closed behind him and Treize spoke softly to the girl as the cloudiness in her eyes started to dissipate. "All you need is me, isn't that right Relena?"

* * *

When Heero woke in the morning his sense of unease, which Hilde assured him would be gone by sun-up, was stronger than the day before. He sat on his bed with his feet on the floor trying to convince himself to get the day started but he couldn't get any further than resting his arms on his knees and allow his head to hang, staring at the floor.

'Why am I so on edge?' He thought for the hundredth time. 'There's no reason anything should bother me at all. It never has.'

He had been trying all night to identify what he felt other than the vague 'uneasy' he had told Duo and having been unable to all evening was starting to bother him more than the feeling itself. How did he usually figure things out?

He ran his hands through his hair and angrily propelled himself off the bed to start the day. After his quick morning routine he went out the door with determination in his stride and ready to use the approach he always favored. The direct approach.

Unfortunately that didn't work if you couldn't find the problem. After being told by Stella that the young man left early that morning he stalked up and down the main road checking every main shop from the general store to the blacksmith. No one had seen the stranger come through that morning and with each step Heero grew more and more frustrated.

When he could think of no other place for his feet to take him he decided Hilde would probably like him to come tend the store since lunchtime was coming and she would be needed at the saloon. A quick glance in Max's on his way past showed the tables starting to get full and Howard, Duo's business partner, gave him a quick wave as he went back out.

Hilde knew his mood was sour the moment he stepped in so she checked her anger, giving him nothing more than a chilly look before hightailing it out of the place. He was left standing behind the counter with his thoughts.

'This shouldn't be affecting me,' he thought as he dismantled a newly acquired piece and started to check and clean it. 'I've done nothing wrong and he's not any kind of law.'

Looking through the barrel for imperfections he found he wasn't afraid.

While oiling the cylinder he realized his frustration was impatience.

It was when the man he'd searched for all morning came walking into the shop, walked right through the door and up to the counter with a smile on his face and a guarded look in his eyes, that Heero realized the feeling that had been boiling in his blood for the past two days.

* * *

Chapter two out and about! Thank you for your reviews and patience while I slowly uncoil this thing. :-)


	3. Chapter 3

Setting Sun  
By Nelys The Alchemist  
Chapter 3

* * *

Many layers of white cotton shuffled and scuffed together as he moved towards the counter where Heero stood with the handle of a pistol in his hand. He moved with sense of ease that Heero noted and it left him wondering how light the material, as it certainly looked to be weighing him down.

He was short, a few inches shorter than Heero, with what looked to be a lean build, blue eyes that held both a brightness and clarity of mind and surprisingly pale skin. With a heat inspired sigh he pulled down the hood of what Heero realized was a white cloak and ran a hand across his brow and through his straw colored hair, damp and slightly disheveled looking.

"Hello," He said in a voice full of optimism and friendship. "My name is Quatre, I've just come in yesterday."

Heero nodded, keeping his expression blank as he assessed the man.

The man called Quatre pulled a weathered and worn piece of paper out from somewhere among the folds of his billowing cloak and gave it a quick glace before turning an unsure smile on Heero.

"I'm looking for a man with the last name of Yuy. I was told he would probably be here," He scrutinized Heero a moment before holding a hand out to him, the un gone from his smile. "I get the feeling I've found him."

Heero had learned that his usual stoic attitude helped when dealing with situations he had not been expecting. Being labeled 'the quiet type' and 'antisocial' gave him time when surprised to gauge the correct response. His brain told him to lie about who he was so he could find out more about this man Quatre first, but his instincts told him otherwise and he found himself nodding.

"Yes, you've found him," He said. Something told him it was not a threat that had this man searching for him. "Why are you looking for me?"

The stranger Quatre crossed the name off his list with a well worn stub of pencil.

"Thank you for being honest," He said with a grateful sigh. "You would be surprised how many people do not wish to be found."

"I like to know why I'm being sought before deciding I don't want to be found."

"Of course," He glanced around the empty room and out the window a moment. "Is it safe to speak here?"

"Yes." Heero was getting impatient but didn't let it show.

"Good," He took a breath and stared Heero in the eye, almost getting himself ready for battle. "I need your help, but you are not the only person I seek, there are several others I am hoping to find."

Heero raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"I need your help to right something that went wrong almost twenty years ago," He paused a moment, reluctant to ask such a silly thing. "Mr. Yuy-uh Heero if I may, were you ever told tales when you were a boy?"

Heero nodded.

"Have you ever heard of…the Mystics?"

Another nod, accompanied with an eye twitch.

"Were you told tales of the rain?"

Heero closed his eyes a moment to keep from shaking the point out of the smaller man. "Does this have to do with the children's tale about the rain bringer?"

Quatre's eyes lit up. "So you've heard the stories, do you think there could be any truth to them?"

"Every child of six believes they are true. The story is only told to keep them hopeful until they are old enough to realize this is the world we live in and no one person is going to change that."

"But Heero, many people say that stories and legends come from some sort of truth. The Mystics – "

"The Mystics were said to have been scattered across the world. I've heard no stories of anyone today having met one."

"Scattered by those who did not understand them, they were intelligent and – "

"And also said to have been the reason the land today is so uninhabitable."

"They were trying to save the rain, not drive it out forever! That's why the rain bringer – "

"Was a legend – look, what do you want from me?" His impatience drove out his curiosity and if no point was forthcoming he would find it himself.

Quatre seemed slightly affected by his tone but tried not to show it. His opened mouth closed, he stared down at the countertop in contemplation, was quiet a moment before looking back up into Heero's deep blue eyes and replying in a subdued tone. "I want you to come with me to find the person who can bring back the rain."

Heero was sure this was either a very bad joke that Duo would pay dearly for playing or this man was a lunatic escaped from a hospital. It would certainly explain his clothing.

"Listen to me please, I know how this sounds – "

Heero snorted and Quatre's tone took on an edge.

"I have information that I believe could help find the person of the stories, and once we find this person they could very well finish what the Mystics started and bring the rain back to this land."

"Do you have any idea how this sounds – "

"Yes I know, I know I sound like a sun crazed loon."

He stared at the smaller man, seriously wondering about his frame of mind.

"Prove it." He said simply.

Quatre pursed his lips. "Prove what?" He said defensively, already knowing the answer.

"Prove to me this is any kind of plausible and I might agree."

"Like the Mystics Heero - this is the sort of undertaking that a person has to believe in."

"But you have some sort of information that tells you this is real. What is it?" Heero crossed his arms and squinted against the glare of the sun coming through the window. It was later than he thought.

"…I can't reveal that."

"Then I can't help you." With that Heero turned and started putting parts away, preparing to close for the day. No one was buying anyway.

Quatre bounced on his feet, indecision evident on his face. "If you could only – "

"Go with you across the desert in search of a person to bring the rain? No." He closed the cabinet doors and moved towards the front door, ready to throw out the man that had brought him much thought in the last twenty-four hours.

"Please Heero," Quatre had both hands out, one clutching the worn and dirty paper as Heero walked him back towards the front door. "I need your help, I can't do this alone-"

"You've made it this far."

At the door Quatre put one hand on the frame and a muscle in his cheek twitched as Heero grit his teeth to keep from slamming it shut on his fingertips.

"You're descended from Yoshi and Helen Yuy," He said in a rush. Heero froze. "Your family came from the east – your parents were part of my township until they were driven out. I'll…I'll give you more information if you will meet me tonight. Please."

Heero's gaze grew dark and dangerous as he stood with one hand on the door, the other digging into the frame. He told no one of his past, thus no one should have known where he came from or who his parents were. Logic told him to force Quatre's tongue and find out what else he knew. His instincts, again, told him otherwise. In the long minute that followed Heero's emotions raged a war. Against his better judgment he found himself nodding at the stranger's request.

Relief flooded Quatre's face and he released the doorframe and stepped back. "The hotel, tonight at ten," He hesitated. "…Thank you. For hearing me out – "

"I didn't say I'd help you."

The door slammed in his face.

* * *

Heero walked the town and let his feet lead the way. He cared not for which direction he moved nor for how long he moved. He felt unsettled and sick to his stomach as he ran the conversation over and over in his mind. He finally realized he was at home after a time with the shadows of dusk coming gently in through the open front door to settle at his feet. His sore feet.

He sat in one of four hardwood chairs and looked around him as though seeing his space for the first time. The walls were dingy from lack of care and the floor worn and dirty from his heavy boots. There were no personal items, nothing to call this place a home and a quick step into the kitchen revealed much of the same.

Heero never really thought about his life. He lived one moment to the next and concerned himself with staying alive. His parents had both disappeared when he was young, leaving him on his own against the harsh world. Late at night when he couldn't sleep he let his thoughts drift to them and while he knew nothing of their past, he knew they hadn't just left him. From as far back as he could recall they were constantly moving, never staying in the same place for too long and more than once he had been woken in the middle of the night to start a new trek.

The day they did not return found Heero facing the bright sun with no one to hold his hand. In the village he had woken up in no one wanted to help the quiet young boy who didn't know where his parents were as they all had plenty of mouths to feed already. A man with a twisted sense of humor had taken pity on him and given him refuge for the night and every night after for nine years, passing along his information as a doctor of science and anything else he thought would be practical. Dr. J had been fair to him and Heero worked on his small piece of land in exchange for the shelter and training. When the old man passed into the next world Heero gave the land to a family in exchange for their mule and some food before heading west to forget his past and find a new future.

With each new town and village he found himself in he used the skills Dr. J taught him to find work and acquire things of value that would take him further. He met people but never involved himself with them for too long, feeling it best to be alone and ready to move on whenever he felt the desire.

It was in this town of Canton he found people who refused to be rebuffed by his stoic and, many would say, rude manner. Duo was the first; he decided Heero needed a pal after Heero worked on his roof for little more than a canteen of water, stating he needed someone to help him with his people skills. After that was decided there was no losing him, he found Heero a home and a more permanent job in Hilde's gun shop and often invited himself in to share Heero's porch on cool evenings. He talked endlessly and Heero's annoyance gradually disappeared, though he refused to admit it to the man with the bizarre braid of brown hair running down his back.

Hilde too decided Heero needed friends after watching him tolerate Duo for more than a week and demanded he join her at Duo's saloon one afternoon, where she told him stories of how the two had grown together in the last ten years and other bits of history about the town. She hadn't needed anyone to mind the store since people didn't much stop while passing through town, but she offered him the job anyway as a way to 'kill his boredom' she said. As their trust in him grew Heero found himself staying longer than he originally anticipated and pretty soon forgot he was planning to leave in the first place. As the harshness of life bore down on him day after day for the first time in his life he felt that this was, perhaps, a place that would afford him a little comfort now and again as he whittled the days away.

The declaration from the man calling himself Quatre shook Heero as no one he had ever encountered knew his parents names but from his own lips. He refused to speak of them and both friends respected him enough not to ask.

He knew he had to meet with the aqua-blue eyed man again, if only to see what else he knew of Heero's family, but it was still too early. He decided to try his luck with getting a drink from his friend and maybe explain the situation to him. Maybe.

The saloon was its' usual noisy place, with everyone who had a coin in their pocket in to get something to quench the ever present thirst. Heero moved to the bar as a man with hair graying at the temples and missing from on top grinned at him in a very loud shirt.

"Heero my man, how ya doin'?"

"Howard, where's Duo?" Heero frowned.

Howard rubbed a hand across the back of his neck and gave an over exaggerated shrug. "Couldn't tell ya, he asked me to take over for a while. Said he had somethin' to do."

Heero slammed his fist down on the counter and stared at it, deep in thought.

"Hey man, anything I can help with?"

Heero distractedly shook his head before shoving away from the bar.

"Just tell him I'm looking for him." He said before walking out the door.

In the cool evening air he stood, watching the stars twinkle on in the innocence of the sky above. With a deep breath he moved towards the hotel, deciding it was late enough and he wanted to get this over with.

With a scowl on his face deeper than usual he glared at Sheila and asked which room the new customer was in.

"Oh, he told me you were coming," She replied brightly. "I said not to hold his breath but you proved me wrong. Up the stairs, he's waiting for you in the meeting room at the end of the hall."

He stalked up the stairs, irritated by her lack of fear at his bad mood. Perhaps he _had_ been staying in town too long.

Heero barged into the room without warning, causing Quatre to jump in the cushioned chair he occupied. The room was clean, the floors covered with a thick and worn rug and many mismatched chairs. The walls were covered with bookcases that held tattered and faded books or painted portraits of people long since dead. A sidebar lined one wall, empty save for a tray with a pitcher of liquid and a couple of glasses. A desk was in another corner with scrap paper and writing instruments for those who needed them. The rest of the artifacts scattered around the room were of another time and difficult to find in today's world, rare and worth much to the historian.

Quatre looked up at Heero with surprise and relief apparent on his face. He was dressed more comfortably than earlier, the layers of white gone, leaving him in cotton pants and a worn shirt that hit him at the elbow. Heero's earlier assessment of a lean build was true but the muscles in his arms betrayed a strength built from hard work in stubborn fields.

"Heero, I was worried you changed your mind," He stood and offered the taller man his hand. "And here you showed up early. Thank you again for coming and for hearing me out."

Heero glared at him and folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm here to find out what else you know about my parents and how you came to know this." He barked.

Quatre pulled his hand back with a rueful smile before gesturing to the bar. "Yes that was pretty obvious this afternoon. Would you care for a drink?"

Heero stayed where he was. Again, that was not the reaction he had expected. A little cowering would have been nice. Quatre seemed not a bit disturbed by his outburst and now that Heero had said it he wasn't sure what else to say.

Quatre sat back down, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and stared at his hands for a moment before releasing a breath and looking back up at Heero.

"I can't tell you a lot," He said. "Much of the information I have was trusted to me and I cannot break that trust until, well until I know more."

"My parents-"

"Yes," He replied. "Yes, your parents. They were always running, always moving to a new place, for as long as you could remember. I knew their names and was told they had a child. I didn't know your name until I came to town and started asking around."

"How did you know their names?"

"They were given to me. I can't tell you by whom," He held up a hand when Heero deepened his scowl. "I _can_ tell you that they were friends of my parents. Winner was the name, did they ever mention it?"

"No."

"Hm well, I had hoped. Thought it might be easier to convince you to help me," he stood again and started pacing around the room. "Heero, I truly believe this person exists and that we can find him. The information I have convinces me of it, but I cannot do it alone. There are select people I want to come with me on this journey and you are one of them. I'm going west and I'm asking you to come with me."

"No. You've told me nothing."

He stopped his pacing, frustration written on his face. "I've told you little but that doesn't mean I've told you nothing. This is a very important mission I'm on, one that could change the whole landscape of the world."

"I don't care."

"Stubborn as a mule, what'd I tell ya?"

Heero's eyes snapped to an alcove on his right as Duo came sauntering into the room wearing an 'I told you so' expression and smirking at Quatre.

Heero raised an eyebrow. "He's hooked you into this as well? You don't believe any of it, do you?"

"Hey you know me, always up for an adventure. Besides, he makes a good case. Have an adventure, see the world, never be thirsty again, why not?"

"Because he hasn't made any kind of case. Because it's nothing more than a story." Heero answered and Quatre's temper flared behind him.

"It _IS_ more than just a story!" Quatre practically shouted, banging his hand on the bar for emphasis.

Heero snapped around and glared at the smaller man. "You've told me nothing – nothing more than to ask for my help on some wild chase after fairy tales and given me not one piece of information to convince me otherwise."

"Would it help if I told you he was a Mystic?"

Both men turned to Duo in surprise, finding him slouched in one of the chairs with his feet up on a small side table. His arms were folded together and he wore a look of lazy confidence that Heero knew.

Heero frowned.

Duo nodded.

Quatre sputtered and his face paled. "No, I never told you I – "

"You didn't have to," Duo cut him off. "I knew it the moment you stepped into town."

"How?"

"The way you dress for starters. "

"You would only know that if you've met one before." Quatre said.

"Who says I haven't?"

"You never told me." Heero spoke quietly, contemplating this bit of news.

Duo shrugged. "Because you're so talkative about your past?"

"You could be wrong."

Another shrug. "I don't hear him denying it."

Heero turned his gaze to Quatre and met him eye to eye. "Tell me he's wrong."

While his face paled slightly more he held Heero's gaze. "…I can't do that." Before breaking eye contact to gaze at the intricate pattern woven into the rug on the floor.

There was silence in the room with a thickness to it, which said a great many things while saying nothing at all. Quatre had quite a bit sitting on the tip of his tongue as he leaned on the bar watching the carpet. Duo as well seemed to know more than he was letting on and Heero wondered how long they had been speaking before he showed up.

"Have you agreed to help?" He directed his words across the room to the man with the chestnut hair.

"Not yet," Came his reply. "Told him I'd have to hear your word on it before I decide anything."

"You've got plenty to keep you here."

He smiled at that. "Sure do. Thriving business, a girl I'll probably marry, plenty of drinkable water."

"And nothing worth leaving for. But you're going, aren't you?"

"That all depends on you man."

This he didn't understand. Agitation at the great amount of nothing he knew relative to the other two in the room crept up his spine and he spat out. "For fuck's sake, why?"

Duo looked up at Heero and grinned. "Wouldn't be any fun without you. Those first few weeks you came into town were great, you had more n' half the town scared shitless."

"Fun?..." Heero gave an almost inaudible sigh, mentally throwing in the towel on trying to understand his friends motives and instead focused on Quatre, who was watching him without breathing. His gut told him Quatre was being honest, and his demeanor told him the young man was also dying to tell them what he so obviously promised he wouldn't.

He narrowed his eyes on the pale young man. "The stipulations of your oath of silence?"

Quatre blinked and thought a moment before he nodded. "I can tell more…at a later point. To those who agree to come with me, who are willing to help me."

"When do you leave?"

"When I have answers from those I've asked."

"Would you just give him an answer!" Duo jumped out of seat like a cat that had its' tail stepped on, betraying the calm attitude with excitement. "You're both driving me up the wall with this clandestine doublespeak!"

Another long moment passed as Duo danced from foot to foot in frustration.

Heero knew, knew deep within that this would be more than just an adventure born from boredom. He, unlike Duo, felt a great significance to what Quatre was asking and that something, whether it be good or bad, whether it affect everyone across the world or no one other than the few that would set forth, would happen. The only question that came to his mind; was he supposed to set out with these two or more men or stay behind and do nothing?

His attention was suddenly drawn to the window behind Quatre. Beyond the weathered frame of the sill the night sky twinkled merrily at him and he focused on those spots of bright in the too dark world. He slowly leveled his gaze back onto Quatre.

"Alright," He said with a nod. "I'll go with you."

Quatre released the breath he'd been holding and his shoulders sagged in relief as Duo dramatically fell back into his chair with a muttered "finally" and gave Quatre a salute when he turned to look at him.

"So boss, when do we leave?" He asked in an energized tone.

"As soon as possible," Quatre hesitated. "Bring as much as you can by way of supplies…as I'm sure you noticed I've been traveling pretty light."

"Well I can't speak for this guy," Duo replied, clapping Heero on the back as he moved past him toward the door. "But I'm tougher than I look."

Quatre nodded. "We'll leave as soon as you're both ready then. Just come and get me."

With that both Heero and Duo walked out the door, Duo in high spirits and Heero trailing behind, deep in thought.

* * *

Things will start to pick up soon I can tell ya. Thanks for staying along for the ride!


	4. Chapter 4

Setting Sun

Chapter 4

By Nelys the Alchemist

* * *

The morning sun snaked its' way slowly across the room, creeping and fighting over layers of blankets and overly stuffed pillows to the far corner of the room as if on a mission. The room grew brighter and brighter in the stillness until a single beam landed upon the brow of a blonde head causing it to turn away and groan at the sudden intrusion. A pale and delicate hand came up and shakily brushed at sleep ridden eyes as more of the sun's rays darted across to join their brother at the far end of the room.

Relena squinted against the morning light and carefully sat up, haphazardly removing the blanket from her small frame, and was greeted to the usual sounds of men already hard at work behind the house. She crawled across the room to the window and looked out across the barren land and into the sky, trying to put together her memories from the day before.

It was bad, she knew, as the worst attacks were the ones she hardly remembered. Small pieces, the flash of a face here and there, came back to her as the sun warmed her face, sounds and images that were familiar and some that were not. The attacks never used to be as bad or last as long as they did now.

'There was a woman there this time,' She thought and bit her lip in worry. 'If he brought someone new in, maybe…'

Moving from the window she quickly threw on a simple dress the color of parchment paper and tied her hair, which fell to her waist and often got in the way, away from her face in a braid. She was still tired from the previous day but felt energized by her thoughts. She opened the door to her room with effort and moved down the hall in bare feet, one hand trailing the wall in case she grew dizzy again.

Passing the living quarters where men were fitting a frame in place for the window next to the front door Relena took little notice of them. Treizes' men were always working around her, building or moving things and whatever else their employer told of them. They were loud, raucous and crude but sworn to be respectful of Relena at all times, and she was used to ignoring them and the things they did.

In the kitchen she found him, sitting at a wooden table with a cup of coffee staring out the back window and across his newly acquired land as he usually did in the mornings of a new project. Treize enjoyed leisure in his mornings even as he expected his men to be hard at work. He caught sight of her as she walked timidly into the room.

"Relena, good morning," He smiled and gestured to the chair across from him, which Relena took gratefully. "You should have something to eat." He said this while signaling to his cook, who quickly put a plate down in front of her and a cup of a sweet smelling liquid. She took a sip as he watched, unsure now of how to bridge the topic.

"Do you feel better?" He asked.

"Yes," She replied softly. "Thank you. Was there someone else with me yesterday? I thought I saw a face I didn't recognize…"

"I asked a local woman to see that you were comfortable," He smiled as though he could read every thought on her face. "You know how important you are to me."

"Yes I know." She took a bite of food, for his benefit.

He picked up his glass of water sitting next to the coffee cup and watched it move within the glass, as though he were waiting for her to ask what was on her mind, and she knew he probably was. He probably already knew what she wanted.

She glanced out the doorway towards the working men. "How are things going?" She asked, unsure of what else to say.

"Well, I believe the men will hit before the end of the day," Treizes' blue eyes sparkled as they always did when business was at hand. "You've done well my dear, very well."

"T-thank you. Will…will we be moving soon from here?" She took another swallow of the sweetness of the tea. She hoped that this time perhaps…

Treize seemed to mull it over a moment, still watching the liquid in his glass. "Not for a while. I'd like to stay here until I'm sure things are running smoothly," He glanced up and held Relena's gaze a moment. "Why do you ask?" Before returning his eyes to the glass.

"Well, if…if we are to stay here for a time I wondered if… I could-I could search for my mother? I thought it might make me feel better by giving me something else to think about, maybe it would help with the attacks?" She immediately took another bite of food even though she didn't feel hungry to give herself something else to look at.

After a moment she looked up. He had not taken his eyes from the glass as the water swirled and she bit her lip again. He was contemplative and it worried her.

"I have treated you well, haven't I Relena?" He asked without looking up.

"Oh yes, very well." She brightened slightly, for him.

"And you enjoy my company, do you not?"

"Of course I do, you are very kind to me," Relena leaned forward, a sense of foreboding to his questions.

"But you want to leave -" He watched the water as he tilted the glass first left, than right.

"Oh-oh I don't wish to leave for long," She broke in in a rush, wringing her hands and twisting them within her dress beneath the table in her frustration. "I just miss her so and you told me that someday I could see her again-"

"Of course you miss her, you know I understand that." Left, than right the water slowly swished as Relena's hope swelled at his words.

"But I cannot allow you to leave my side," He lowered the glass and her hopes with it. "It is too dangerous a world to let you go out there without my protection, and we have not located your town as of yet."

She bit her lip to keep from crying and schooled her face to hide the disappointment from him. He watched her as if he knew how much his words hurt, but she knew he couldn't possibly. He smiled at her and stood to come around the table. He slowly brushed the back of his hand down her cheek and she couldn't help but close her eyes and lean into his touch. The gentle caress slowed her thoughts, the soft brush of his fingers swept across her cheek sending waves of tranquility down through her neck, her shoulders, slowly spreading throughout her body. Further words died on her lips.

"As I've told you before my dear, as soon as my men find your town you shall see your mother again."

Relena had no choice but to believe him, having never traveled alone. She knew little about where she was now. Her instincts always led the way and she followed without question. Treize continued to stroke her cheek until her brow softened and her breathing deepened. When he was sure she was relaxed and drowsy he told her he would return for dinner and strode out of the house without a backwards glance.

She sat for a very long time, slumped down in her seat. After a time silent tears spilled from her eyes to roll down her cheeks. She hadn't lied to him, he did treat her well and far better than any of the others but that didn't make her feel any less of a prisoner.

* * *

It was later than Heero wanted. His original plan was to be ready at sun up but his body didn't seem to want to abide by the same rules. He woke with his arm slung across his face and the sun already high in the sky. With alarm fueling his steps he stumbled out of bed and scrambled to quickly gather his things.

Moving within his sparse bedroom he dropped to his knees and shoved the cot, still warm where his body lay just moments before, aside. The bare wooden floor had a fine layer of dust and sand across it that he swept aside before pulling on one loose board until it came away in his hand. There in the dirt sat a box with a rope tied and knotted around it that he grabbed and brought into the bright light of the midday sun.

The box itself was of a rusted metal at one time painted red and the size of Heero's forearm. The lid was dented and warped and the old fraying rope kept the contents secure. Heero removed the rope and twisted old metal lid before pulling out one of his very few possessions, an ornamental knife. A swirl danced across the surface with small dots following along to settle at the base, a design bizarre and foreign to Heero's eye but it held a familiarity that he couldn't deny. It had belonged to his parents and no one knew about it save for him. Not even Dr. J with whom Heero had shared his life, at first in hopes the old man would help him find his parents, and later as his trust in the man grew.

With nothing other than the box to store it in, a cumbersome thing that he certainly did not want to drag along, he improvised by ripping the arm of an old shirt off. With one end tied off he fastened the ripped ends of the other to his belt, creating a makeshift sheath. He slipped the knife inside and checked that it was hidden well enough within his long jacket, then tested that it wasn't going to stab him at some random moment. With that done he slung the satchel carrying the rest of his things over his shoulder before giving the room one more sweep.

Was he sorry to be leaving this place? No, it never felt like home. As every other place in his life it was a temporary refuge from the bitter world and he walked through the front door and away from the house without a backwards glance.

The walk into town was a quick one but he felt as though it took a lifetime. Excitement and trepidation battled deep within his soul. Why? Why was he doing this? He had yet to find an answer as the buildings came into focus down the main road. Outside of Duo's saloon there was a sturdy looking mule tied to a covered wagon, nonchalantly grazing from a small patch of weed at his feet. As Heero approached the mule gave a snort at the flurry of activity happening at the door to the saloon. Hurricane Hilde was brandishing a pistol, waving it around in agitated circles as she yelled and cursed the individual who kept going from the saloon to the wagon and back again. He grimaced slightly at her red face, much as it looked the previous day when he and Duo first told her they were leaving. The object of her tirade seemed immune to her fury, and the pistol she waved, and continued his trek to and from the wagon nonplussed.

'He's either truly brave or more insane than I thought.'

Heero sidled up to the wagon quietly, trying not to catch the German woman's eye.

"And YOU!"

No such luck.

She rounded on him, the floorboards in front of the saloon shaking in her wake. She had been more than irate the day before and spent most of it trying to convince one or both of them how incredibly stupid their decision was and how much they would regret it. After they told her she couldn't go with them.

"After everything I've done to help you, giving you a job when no one wanted anything to do with you, trusting you with my precious store and giving you the quiet and solitude you wanted," She stopped a few feet from him and stood, hands balled together and balanced on her hips. "You're just going to run off with Duo and abandon me to the store with-with nothing more than _Howard's _company?!"

Heero opened his mouth to reply but the squeak of the saloon door opened and he was relieved from any words.

"Oh quit your bellyachin', I gave you my share of the place and we're not leaving forever, how're you being abandoned?" Duo snapped as he carried a bundle of blankets to the back of the wagon. Hilde turned back to the braided man and Heero dared not move.

"You're going off to chase after a child's story and going to get yourself killed! Your memory's going 'cause you don't seem to recall the towns we went through before we found this place."

"This place is damn boring!"

"In this world boring means you live longer you buffoon!" She snapped back to Heero, startling him with the dexterity of it. "He wouldn't go unless you hadn't agreed. For cryin' out loud Heero you got it good here, why're you throwin' that away?"

"I just…" That was the question he'd been asking himself all night. "It's something I have to do."And one he still didn't have an answer for.

"That ain't a real answer," She snapped before glowering at him and jabbed her gun into his stomach to emphasize her anger before holding it out. "Here. Take this, there's more in the wagon." She said sullenly.

He took the gun automatically, the surprise showing on his face.

She turned back to Duo, using her finger now instead of the gun tip though both men were no less tense, and tipped Duo's hat off his head.

"Why in the hot hell o' Hades can't I come with you?" She demanded and not for the first time.

"Two reasons," He replied after picking up and dusting off his hat. "One, you weren't asked. Quatre's been real particular about who comes along and if he didn't ask you it ain't my place to. Two," he grabbed her then and swung her into the wagon, leaning in and covering her lips with his. After a moment he straightened and pulled her back up. "If things get rough I don't want you anywhere near it."

"But I'm a crack shot – "

"No," He bent down, placing his hands to rest on her shoulders and met her eyes. "You're cracked for loving me and I'm not about to let chasin' after a child's story do anything to change that."

Her gaze softened, begrudgingly. His fingertips stroked down her arms.

"If you're here in this boring place tending bar you're safe. And you know I have every intention of coming back to you."

He straightened back up and she looked to the right with her arms folded.

"I never said I worried about no prairie harpies." She said in a sullen and perhaps slightly smug voice.

A polite cough brought all three heads around to the front of the wagon where Quatre stood in his layers of white looking slightly pink.

Hilde's glare intensified threefold as she looked over at him and he turned a fine and true shade of red, shrinking back slightly.

Heero climbed into the wagon and took the reins with Quatre quickly following suit, if only to get out of view of Hilde's death glare.

"Hey," Duo rubbed her arms and she turned back to him with the same sour expression. "This is the face you want me rememberin'?"

She pulled his head down and planted her lips firmly on his.

Heero pulled the wagon around to face west and stopped a few feet from the two.

After a long minute she pushed him away and gave him her best sultry pout while pointing her finger at him. "You better come back," Before aiming at Heero. "You too."

With that she turned and went back into the bar, strutting in her best to give Duo the most to regret leaving in the small and boring town.

Duo climbed up on the seat beside Heero with a rueful smile and a shake of his head before turning to Quatre.

"So, where we headed?"

* * *

For two days they rode through the desert landscape, with little to catch the eye past a few lone cacti and desert palm. Hard packed dirt and sand were the most prominent in this world and the heat grew by day as they moved. Lizards warmed themselves on the outcroppings of rocks that dotted the hills but the skies were blue and bare with not even an occasional wisp of a cloud for them to concentrate on.

Duo kept the days from getting too quiet with highlights from his past and what he hoped for in the future. Sometimes he referenced Heero but the man might as well been a sack of grain for all that he spoke. He seemed deep in thought to Quatre, when the mystic didn't have his face buried in some piece of parchment. Nights were cold and the firewood Heero provided was the only real comfort among the star filled sky.

On day four of their journey, while the sun was slowly sinking in front of them, Heero thought he saw the faint glow of a fire in the far distance. He shook his head and turned away from the setting sun, sure it was nothing more than tricks of the light. More than once Duo had called out in triumph at spotting a pond of water only to see it as a sand pile a moment later. The sun touched the horizon, fading away after another tough day.

"Hey," Duo said, stalling in the middle of his recount of the day he beat a known gambler at his own game of blackjack.

"I heard you," Quatre replied in a distracted tone without looking up from his map. "He threw down his cards and put his hands on the pile…"

"Ah forget that," Duo impatiently gestured into the distance to catch his eye and Quatre finally glanced up. "Do you see that speck out there, lookin' kinda like a fire?"

Quatre squinted before straightening slightly. "I think I do this time."

Heero turned at that and found the same thing he'd seen ten minutes ago, brighter now in the waning light.

"Looks like we've found some other travelers," Duo said with interest. "Think we should say hello?"

Heero's hand drifted to his gun at the confirmation that he wasn't the only one to see the fire. "I don't think so, they could be looking for supplies."

"If they need help we should stop," Quatre said. "They could need water or food."

"Or they could be waiting for someone like you to stop so they can kill you and get themselves a wagon." Heero replied sharply. Quatre frowned at that and looked back over to the fire.

"Paranoid may be his middle name but he's got a point." Duo scratched the back of his neck as he, too, looked back over towards the fire.

"I don't think so," Quatre said softly, almost too softly to be heard by his companions. As both men watched he concentrated harder on the fire, as though he could glean something more on the people tending it as their wagon slowly approached. "I think we should go see him." He blinked before giving himself a quick nod and gesturing to Heero's gun belt.

"We have both your and Duo's weapons for protection, I think we should go over there." He said firmly.

Duo shrugged and tugged the reins of the mule toward the direction of the fire. "It's your story we're chasin' after."

Heero reached behind and pulled a shotgun with a short range out of the wagon floor to rest in his lap. Had it been loaded it would have been quite deadly, but sometimes weapons served an equally important role without ammunition.

The smallness of the fire was more apparent as they drew near. A single bundle was laid out for the single occupant enjoying the fire, with single bits of gear strewn about telling of a single dinner. There was no pack animal near, no vehicle of any kind within sight. The traveler was, from the looks of things, going on foot.

He was sitting on a rock near the fire, pressing his hands together and towards it to get the warmth that so quickly left the desert at night. With the sun gone they couldn't see much of him past his profile against the backdrop of the flames but he was tall and lanky and though he didn't move he clearly knew they were coming.

The mule gave a snort as they came to a stop near enough to converse with the stranger and Quatre climbed down while Heero kept his eyes sharp for a surprise attack. Quatre stopped by the mule's side and stroked his muzzle to calm him for a moment before calling out to the man.

"Hello there!" He said cheerfully.

The man carefully turned his head and settled his gaze on Quatre, giving him a nod.

"Hello. If it's money or food you're looking for I have nothing to offer." He replied simply, no particular tone to his words. He spoke as though talking about the weather.

Quatre blinked before giving a soft chuckle. "My friends seemed to think that's what you may be after."

He felt rather than saw the man slide his gaze to the two still up in the wagon. Duo gave a wave before jumping down and Heero stayed where he was, continuing to scan the camp.

"You'll find I'm alone," He said to Heero. "Don't believe I cannot defend myself however, or you will be very much surprised." Heero snapped his head at him and his casual speech.

Quatre gave a start at the harsh words, still spoken as if discussing how to set a table. "I can assure you we're not looking for trouble." He finally stuttered out.

"We're prepared in case any comes looking for us." Heero said pointedly.

Quatre took a deep breath and walked up to hold his hand out to the young man. "We came to see if you were in need of help, being so far from civilization. That's all."

Duo snorted. "I wouldn't call any of these two bit towns civilized." He muttered.

The stranger looked at Quatre a moment longer before accepting his hand in a quick shake.

"My name is Trowa," He said as he stood. "And as I have nothing worth being killed over, as you can see, you are welcome to share my fire if I may share your company."

Quatre smiled and sat, quickly followed by Duo who plopped down and stretched his legs out across the tall man, flexing his feet and relishing being out of the wagon. He pulled an old and dented flask out of his pocket, truly a relic, and uncapped it to take a swig before offering it to their host. He accepted it wordlessly and took a long drag from it, giving a sigh when he handed it back.

"I am obliged. It's been a while since I've had much past the dregs."

Heero finally climbed down, keeping the gun with him as he came over and sat near the fire. He wasn't going to allow himself to relax fully but had a better view of Trowa and his camp on the ground. That's what he told himself anyway as heat licked at his calves and slowly climbed up his legs.

"Are you truly traveling alone?" Quatre asked after a moment.

"Yes," Trowa replied. "I have been for quite a while."

"Where are you headed?"

"I'm not sure. That depends on fate I suppose…and you?"

Heero and Duo straightened slightly, eyes on the blonde. That had been the question since they agreed to go with the young man but Quatre would not answer when they asked in Canton, nor when asked again on the road. 'West' was all the pale haired man would say and west they went. After several days with still nothing more concrete was beyond frustrating to both of them.

Quatre was quiet a moment, staring into the fire in quiet contemplation.

"…We're heading into Denmore. I'm looking to speak with someone there."

Duo dropped his jaw, eyebrows disappearing into his hairline. "Four days in that wagon and you kept your mouth shut but now you're feelin' talkative?" He gestured angrily at Trowa. "Why him, why now?"

"It was the right time now." Came Quatre's soft reply.

Trowa cocked an eyebrow at this. "They recently discovered water there I hear. Blurose has already set a claim."

"How do you know Blurose is there?" Heero queried.

Trowa glanced at him with a slight smile on his face.

"Perceptive. I came from Denmore. Saw them setting up."

"What's your last name?" Quatre asked suddenly. He held his breath and a strange breeze danced across the air and their skin.

It was Trowa's turn to be quiet a moment.

"Barton."

Quatre fished the worn paper out of the folds of his clothing and squinted at it in the dancing firelight. Heero's interest turned away from watching the tall man to Quatre as he scanned one of the faded crumpled pages. Both he and Duo had been pressing to know what instructions were on those pages but short of snatching them out of Quatre's hands they weren't told a word. The man Duo called a Mystic kept them well hidden and brought them out in quick flashes before tucking them back out of sight.

The mule took this opportunity to snort again and began stomping his hooves in agitation. Trowa stood and in two strides of his very long legs was beside the animal and stroking his mane as he whispered in his ear. A little more stamping and snorting and finally he started to quiet down, and even after Trowa continued to stroke his mane and ears.

"There's something in the air he doesn't like." Trowa said to Duo who had opened his mouth to speak.

Just then Quatre's breath caught and he looked up sharply from the paper in his hand to the man petting the mule.

"Barton." He breathed in wonder. Heero frowned and Duo turned a quizzically raised eyebrow as Quatre stood with trembling hands and a knowing smile.

"Trowa," He said with barely contained excitement. "I'd like you to come with us."

* * *

And a Happy Happy New Year to all you wonderful reader/writers out there! I hope to update more often than I have been on this and give you some bigger chapters too. Thanks for all your kind words and I thank you for any critiques you wish to send my way!

~Nelys


End file.
